VARIABLES
by Jane Doe
Summary: By changing the constants the entire outcome is changed. The variables that change the constants will always change everything.
1. Days Off

**VARIABLES**

By Jane Doe 

Summary: By changing the constants the entire outcome is changed. The variables that change the constants will always change everything. 

Disclaimer: CSI isn't mine and I make no profit from my overactive imagination. 

Spoilers: HA 

A/N: I've sat on this for two months nurturing it until I deleted it and started over. I would say it is a fluff of sorts but I am incapable of writing anything without angst. Anyway, it is important to remember that this starts normal/generalized then leads to unexpected/personalized moments due to the variables I inflect upon Grissom and Sara. This work is a response to a question I had. If you want to know the question I'll post it at the beginning of Chapter 2. Enjoy my latest work. Feedback of any kind is always a great thing. 

Chapter 1 

The 1st Variable- Having Days Off 

Gil Grissom walked down the brightly lit corridor of the Las Vegas Crime Lab towards the briefing room to hand out assignments. It had been slow the passed few nights, which were a living hell on him. Without the distraction of a case he found the silence overwhelming. The spells were coming in less frequency but longer in duration. Hiding out in the layout room wasn't going to work forever and he knew it. Work was welcomed more than anyone realized. He finally reached his destination and found the graveyard shift scattered around the small room. 

"Well, well, well look watch the cat drug in." Catherine said from her seated position at the table. She was in a great mood. The slow nights allowed more time with Lindsay. On the other hand she knew Grissom was having the worst three days of his life. She loved it. 

Grissom didn't waste time with pleasantries. He wasn't in the mood for people, especially Catherine and her comments. He was in the mood for work. 

"Okay this is what we have. Cath, I want you to take Nick and Warrick. It's a multiple gunshot victim found in the alleyway of Graffton and Washington." He handed the slip of paper off to Catherine. "A woman was walking her dog when she stumbled upon the body. The body is at least four days old so..." 

"We'll dress down." Catherine finished. She handed the paper over her shoulder to Nick's awaiting hand. 

Nick's eyes skimmed the paper. Surprisingly he enjoyed getting a case. He was too much in love with his work to enjoy too much time off. "Is the coroner meeting us there?" 

"Yeah, but she is from dayshift." 

"She?" Nick's attention immediately gave rise to the topic at hand. "Where's David?" 

"He's already at _our_ crime scene." Grissom's eyes fell upon he's partner for the evening. She was busy with the coffee pot and seemed to be a bit flustered. "Are you ready Sara?" 

She looked up from the evil coffee maker. It was not cooperating with her this evening. It was either moving in slow motion or her whole perception of time was off. She willed it to perk faster but that only seemed to slow it down even more. Little to no sleep and absolutely no coffee pick-me-up meant an irritable Sara Sidle. She felt like giving the coffee pot a swift Judo chop but instead she braved a thousand-watt smile just for Grissom. "You bet." 

"Well then let's go." He threw his head towards the door. "You drive." He was gone without any acknowledgment from Sara. He was too anxious to wait. 

She gave one desperate look at the coffee pot. Maybe she could stop for coffee on the way, or maybe time can fast forward. "Damn." She said under her breath. 

"It's just coffee Sara." Nick teased but stopped as soon as Sara gave him an icy glare. "Or not." 

"What's wrong with it anyway?" She exclaimed. 

"Well watch a pot never boils." Warrick quipped with a smile. He's days off allowed time to catch up on the mound of paperwork building up under his name. After that he found use of Archie's new computer game in the AV lab. It was a nice break to say the least. 

"Sara, are you coming?" Grissom called from the doorway irritably dangling the keys from his hand. His unseen left foot jerked with anticipation. "Evidence is time sensitive. Let's go." 

She wanted to laugh. She knew if she was on edge then so was Grissom. That man worked as hard as her, if not harder. "Coming Gris." She hurriedly walked passed him and snatched the keys from his hand. 

He looked around the room at his other three unmoving CSI's. "This isn't the unemployment line. Go to work." They exchanged glances as if trying to figure out who he was talking to. Grissom pointed. "Yes you three. You've had plenty of time off and your body is decomposed as it is." 

"So what's the rush?" Catherine's joke provided humor for only the two younger men. Grissom just stared at her as if she were losing her mind. "We're waiting for the coffee to perk." She tried to explain; or rather buy some more time. 

He raised an eyebrow. "It's broke; now get going." 

"When did it break?" Nick asked curiously getting sidetracked. 

"Does it really matter?" 

"I guess not." Nick nudged Warrick's arm. "Let's go man." 

"Ah-yeah." They walked passed Grissom to get their kits and Catherine soon followed them out the door without another word. 

Grissom stood dumbfounded. He thought he might have to get a crowbar under their asses just to get them out of the building. He glared at the coffee pot. He walked over and smacked it rather hard on the lid. It groaned and sputtered water and steam, before a gentle flow of black rich coffee perked into the pot. He wore a smile of satisfaction as he headed for the Tahoe. 

(tbc) 


	2. Location

Author's Notes: The Question Starting This: "What if Grissom and Sara were put under odd, yet feasible, conditions; would I see S3 take place as it has?" That is why my spoiler is only to HA. So...here you can have it. Please review. Thanks to those that reviewed, and **tenof-10** Catherine was just being herself. I'll let you decide what that is. 

Chapter 2/? 

The 2nd Variable- Location 

Sara was sitting patiently in the Tahoe with the air conditioner on low waiting for the same man that told _her_ to hurry. Finally she saw his figure step into the descending night. She watched him crawl in beside her without a word in explanation. 

"Where have you been?" 

He looked up at her as he buckled his seat belt. "Busy." 

She didn't expect a great explanation but more than one word would have been nice. It was Grissom after all. She put the SUV in reverse and headed out of the parking lot. She drove and he stared out at the desert blanketed in darkness. The car was filled with a comfortable silence that neither individual wanted to break. They knew the bare minimum of their case. Dead Caucasian male found on home premises. The vic's place was in the middle of the desert but they both enjoyed the ride. It was a nice prelude to a great case. It meant time to gather their thoughts before and after combing the crime scene. 

Sara wanted that coffee to materialize in her hand but it never did. Although much to her delight, Grissom allowed her to grab a cup at a gas station. Like a child she thanked him with a smile larger than life. Coffee has that effect on people deprived longer than theoretically possible. With a hot cup of Java in one hand and the other gripping the steering wheel, a greater anticipation overtook her. They began to get away from the lights of the Strip and closer to a hot crime scene. Working a case always had an adrenaline rush that Sara couldn't find anywhere else. Solving the puzzles and working evidence was exactly how she liked to spend her nights. This night would be no different. 

Grissom lapsed into a semi-responsive state after Sara was calmed by the coffee break. The car was quiet but the hum of the tires on the road had its own comforting sound that reached his ears. It, combined with the flow of constant cool air from the ventilation, made a perfect harmonious symphony of sounds. He was almost mesmerized by the art of hearing. He never appreciated the sound more. It was exactly what he would miss; the small things. He would miss work, and the people he would communicate with. 

He stole a sharp glance at his traveling companion. He could tell she was on edge because of the time off. He surmised that the hyperactive Sara Sidle wasn't tired by the end of boring shift therefore not sleeping at all. No work equaled no play. No play meant a very energetic Sara with no way to release the unused energy. He knew all this because he felt the same way at the end of shift. They were ready to get back to doing something. 

When they reached their destination, only one officer and the coroner's van were there. As they crawled out both investigators took notice that the air was hot for a desert night. Usually the cool damp air settled when the sun took away the warmth, but tonight was different. It was warmer than usual. Grissom pulled on his baseball cap to catch the beads of sweat on his forehead. He became the umpire of forensic science when he had that cap on. It was his favorite, but no one is supposed to know. 

"Hey David." Sara called ahead to catch the young coroner's attention. 

She smiled his best smile for Sara. "Hi Sara." 

"Where is the victim?" Grissom asked trying to ignore the drool response to Sara's presence. 

David pushed his glasses up his sweaty nose and looked to Grissom. "Downstairs." Grissom turned on his heels towards the house with Sara close behind him. "Uh Mr. Grissom he is not in the house." 

They stopped at exactly the same time and turned. Their silver field kits gleamed in the last rays of dusk before nightfall came. 

"What do you mean he is not in the house?" 

David pointed to a remote location one hundred yards in the side yard. Sara and Grissom shared a quick glance and walked in that direction. 

"The victim has a bomb shelter. That's where he is." David explained trying to keep up with their fast pace. 

As they got away from the porch light, both flashlights came on. The ground was dry. Their feet kicked up dust as they walked until they reached a concrete slab that held a set of stairs leading into the ground. A faint glow cast light onto the steps. Grissom bravely lead the way. 

By the last step the light was no longer a faint glow but a harsh invading fluorescent light, and the officer could be seen standing next to the body. 

"Fourteen steps." Sara stated from behind him. It seemed to echo off the walls. 

"Are you superstitious, Sara?" He looked at her over his shoulder. 

She shrugged. "Evidently he was." 

Grissom looked at the body. "It didn't help him any." He crouched down over the body. "Do we have an ID?" 

The middle-aged officer searched his notepad for the proper information. "Evan Groening: thirty-nine, married, quiet, private, active member of the Western American Nationalists. We found a total of eighteen firearms in his house and in here, but no aggressive behavior has ever been reported. He seemed to be a good guy." 

"Where's the wife?" Sara asked pulling her latex gloves over her small hands. 

The officer flipped through the pages. "Um...died three years ago. They were married for twenty-two years." 

She bent of the body with her flashlight. "That made him seventeen when he got married. It's young." 

"Not young when you are in love." The officer said to her. 

"I guess age does not matter; well at least not to them." 

Grissom looked up at her when she said this. No emotion played on her face, she was merely stating a fact. He shook his head and went back to the body. The man was sprawled in a manner suggesting a fall: hands beneath him to brace impact. "David?" Grissom called. 

"Yes." 

"Was he like this when you found him?" 

"Yes. Paramedics came and went when they pronounced him dead. Liver temperature places time of death seven hours ago." 

"Who called it in?" 

This time the officer. "Neighbor, a Nancy Vells, 68 years of age, called police to check it out. She has no car but when Mr. Groening didn't answer her calls she got worried and called it in. They were supposed to go to the store together. We get calls like that a lot. Just concerns that need checkin'. Folks out here scrape to get by and stick together. I don't think an old lady would kill someone anyway." 

"It's not so impossible." Grissom said. "How far away is this neighbor?" 

"Four miles, so unless she took some super arthritis medicine, I don't see her sprinting over here." The officer replied sarcastically. Grissom and Sara just looked at him as if he broke open the case. Stranger things have happened. 

"The first officer, did he touch the body?" 

"No, I know Nate and he knows better. He just checked his pulse. Nothing. He radioed it in and medics verified death. We called you." 

Sara began to take multi shots of the body and the area around the body. Grissom did a search of the concrete floor. There were no noticeable prints of dirt left by an intruder and no readily blood spatter. He bent over the body again and rolled him over. There were no marks, stabbings, gunshots, anything. The man was just dead. 

"Do we know anything on how he died?" 

"No sir. I will know a lot more when I get him to the morgue." David explained. 

Sara looked around the room. It was very clean for an underground bomb shelter. The ceiling was roughly ten feet high and solid concrete. The walls were lined with shelving of everything needed for survival. Blankets, lanterns, sealed canned products, flashlights, batteries, pillows, even board games. It was enough to survive for years. Various containers, barrels, drums were scattered around the enclosure but it was all in order according to urgency. There was a desk with Mr. Groening's paperwork on it and a hard wooden chair for comfort. She found a hole in the ceiling and went to investigate when her eyes got caught on the farthest side where there were jugs of water. 

"Hey Grissom?" He came to stand directly behind her; his chest brushing her back. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Her eyes never left the water. 

"Poisoned." He was almost in her ear but she didn't mind the closeness. He abruptly turned away to face David. "Did you find any evidence of poisoning?" 

"There is no discoloration on or around the mouth but many poisons don't leave any. It certainly can be a possibility. I will know more..." 

"Later." Grissom finished then went back to Sara, who turned to face him. "Check for any tampering, then get a sample from each container just in case it is poisoning." 

She removed her lightweight jacket and placed it by the door. "And the food?" 

"It seems to be sealed and there is no evidence that he opened anything so let's focus on the water for now." 

"It would be pretty ironic if he was killed in the most securest of places." She smiled. 

He shrugged. "Irony is beautiful." 

David packed up his gear and bagged the body. After his friendly wave to Sara, he was off to the morgue on orders to call if he learned anything conclusive. Grissom and Sara went to work side by side in a rhythm of its own beauty. 

(tbc) 


	3. Freedom

Chapter 3/? 

The 3rd Variable- Freedom 

"Mr. Grissom?" 

Grissom's red goggled eyes left the harsh blue glow of the black light to meet the officer's sickly face. "You don't look too good." 

He shifted slightly. "Well the heat is gettin' to me but I'll be okay. I was wondering if you two are going to be finished soon." 

Grissom looked at the man and then at his watch. They were collecting evidence for the past two hours straight. If it wasn't for the air current coming from the door he would be drenched with sweat. The bomb shelter became stuffy and humid as time passed. He surmised it was from the damp cool earth surrounding the walls and the hot air from the desert that floated through the door, but had no where to go. He debated finding the air conditioner, which he suspected there had to be one, but it wasn't too long until they were out of there. His eyes wandered to Sara's hunched form. She was fingerprinting the water jugs' spigot. 

"Sara?" 

She glanced over to him. "Yeah?" 

"Are you almost done?" 

"A few more minutes." 

"Okay well we are going to pack up. We've exhausted the scene and David might have found something anyway." 

The officer headed to the door. "I'll be outside." 

"Okay." Grissom called as he went back to his search. 

Sara finished lifting the one print she found off of the last water container with joy. She had been hunched over for the last half hour. Her tense back muscles protested every move. "Are you ready Grissom?" She asked without looking at him. 

"Yes." He said packing his things then watched Sara pack up her kit. She moved uncomfortably from one piece of evidence to the next. "How long were you bent over?" 

She turned to face him. "As long as you." She smiled. 

He frowned at her. Typical Sara to ignore what her body was telling her and use Grissom's work ethic as a life line. "I'm ready." 

With each other's help they carried all the collections to the Tahoe. 

"I wonder what David found." Sara said placing her kit down next to Grissom's. "He didn't even call." 

Grissom flipped out his phone and dialed the morgue. "Let's find out." 

"Good idea because I don't feel like coming back here." Sara wiped the sweat from the back of her neck. 

"Is it the heat or mild claustrophobia that makes this all too unappealing?" Grissom smiled. 

"Both." 

Finally Grissom's call was relayed to David. "This is the morgue, hello." 

"What do you have on our body?" 

There was a sigh. "Nothing. I just got here five minutes ago. He isn't even out of the bag." 

"What? What took you so long?" Grissom's eyes focused on Sara's confused face. 

"Flat tire." David confirmed. 

Grissom removed his ball cap and wiped the sweat with the back of his hand. "Okay. See you whenever we get there." 

"Okay. Bye." 

"Well?" Sara asked impatiently watching Grissom disconnect the call. 

"He got a flat tire on the way back. He just got there." 

She folded her arms across her chest. "Two hours to change a flat?" 

Grissom shrugged. "It's David." He said as if that explained everything. "Come on." He threw open the passenger door for her to crawl in. She settled comfortably in her seat. It was an exhausting case for both of them. Grissom signaled to the officer to pull out, who didn't hesitate to speed away. Grissom shook his head, but the truth was he couldn't wait to get in the air condition either. Just as he crawled in Sara jumped out. 

"Be right back, I left my jacket." 

He watched her jog away back to the now yellow taped bomb shelter. Sara found her way down the stairs counting the steps involuntarily again. Numbers acted on impulse most of the time. They just came to her. 

She removed the chained lock and twisted the metal wheel to gain access. She just realized how heavy the door was. It had been propped open when they arrived, but she didn't think it would be _that_ heavy. She found her coat where she left it and turned to run back up the steps until she ran straight into Grissom. She stumbled back into the room almost falling in the process but he stepped out of the doorway to catch her arm. 

"God!" She shouted. 

"No it's me Grissom." He replied dryly. 

She glared at him. "You scared me!" 

He realized his hand burning through her sleeved arm and released it in a hurry. "I didn't mean to scare you but you were taking too long." He left the rest of the sentence unsaid. She knew he came to make sure she was okay and it didn't need to be said. 

"The door was heavy. It took we awhile." She said calming down some. 

"Did you get it?" 

She held up her jacket. "Yes." 

Grissom turned back to the now closed door and attempted to pull it open but it wouldn't budge. "Sara how many clicks did you turn the wheel when you unlocked the door?" 

"Huh?" She stared at him as he tried to open the door. 

He dropped his hands from the wheel and turned to her. "When you opened the door, how many revolutions did you make to open it?" 

"I don't know. One maybe two. Why?" 

He sighed. "It's locked." 

"What?" 

Grissom jerked on the wheel trying to turn it. "L. O. C. K. E. D." He spelled it out in irritation. 

She tossed her jacket to the floor and attacked the door with determination, as if she couldn't believe him. 

"Oh no way! Great!" She pounded on the door with her sweaty fist. "Now what?" 

He shrugged. "I'd say we're trapped." 

(tbc) 


	4. Hope

A/N: I meant to post this like three days ago but lacked ambition. Ah it figures. So your patience I give you through chap7 but feel free to send a review for whichever one. I hope you like them. **Geena**, I'll see what I can do about that dream of yours. Due to the rating, you might be disappointed but hey it's Grissom, he has his own rating!lol Again reviews are always welcomed. Sorry if there are ant mistakes but it's kinda late/early morning so sorry. 

Chapter 4/? 

The 4th Variable- Hope 

Sara let her head fall against the door. "This is not my idea of a good night." She said more to herself than to the other captive. She couldn't believe this was happening. Things like this happened in the movies or on television, never to the nightshift of Las Vegas. It was supposed to be a routine case. A case to solve and move on. It was becoming anything but "normal". 

"I think he would have a code or some way to open the door." Grissom said watching Sara's figure slouch in desperation. "We just have to find it." He went to the victim's desk to find anything that resembled a manual to help get them out of this mess. 

Sara leaned against the door but quickly shot forward when a thought jumped into her head. "Our phones!" 

Grissom raised a doubtful eyebrow. "I don't think a signal can get through these walls." 

"I am grasping for straws Grissom, leave me alone." She quickly dialed but 'No Signal' flashed across the screen. Grissom watched her face change to frustration again but didn't say anything. "Well it was hopeful while it lasted." She put it back on her belt and joined Grissom. "Did you find anything?" 

He sighed. "No." 

"The only code was probably in his head." She turned her attention to the drawers. "Why would someone want to lock themselves inside?" 

"It's not about trapping themselves inside Sara, it's about keeping the outside out." 

"An uprising?" She asked removing a slip of paper. 

He nodded. "If there was a nuclear disaster a man with heavy paranoia couldn't chance someone risking the lives of many because one got a little stir crazy." 

Sara raised an eyebrow. "This isn't the first time you thought about this." 

"It's a normal reaction to death; to prevent it that is." 

"Grissom you don't have one of these bunkers under your townhouse do you?" She teased. 

"No why?" 

"Um. No reason." She turned towards the lamp to shed more light on the desk. 

"So do you accept death?" He asked. 

She looked up but dropped her eyes quickly. "No." 

Her answer surprised him. "You are afraid of dying?" 

"It's an uncertainty Grissom. I have no control. Any situation that yields vulnerability scares me." 

Her words struck a nerve and he forced himself to turn away. "If we can't get out that door. Maybe there is a second entrance, like a fire escape or something." 

"Hey I noticed something when I first came in." Sara rushed over to the center of the room and pointed up. "Hand me a flashlight." 

Grissom obliged her with his own maglite. "Here." 

She pointed the beam of light inside ceiling tunnel. "Bingo. It's our second door." She handed Grissom the maglite to have a look. 

At the top of the metal ladder was a circular door resembling that of a manhole cover. He suddenly felt like he was in a submarine instead of a western American bomb shelter. His eyes fell on their first obstacle, the height to the ladder from the floor. 

"How do you plan to get up to the ladder?" There was a loud screech as she pushed a barrel beneath the hole. "Oh." 

She tested the lid for support and climbed on top. Her hands grasped the ladder and she pulled her feet to catch the last rung. 

"Be careful Sara." Grissom's flashlight followed her up as she climbed her way to the top. "I wouldn't trust this ladder. We don't know how long ago this place was built." 

She smiled down to him. "I know Grissom." She turned back to the ladder. "It is hot so hot up here." 

"Well," Grissom looked around. "It's at least fifteen feet up and hot air does rise." 

She reached the door lever and gave it a quick jerk. "Come on open." She begged. She pulled it again harder this time but it wouldn't budge. In frustration she madly jerked it again but nearly lost her balance. Both investigators' hearts stopped. 

"Sara it's locked now come down. You are going to fall." He said quickly but added softly to himself. "Please don't fall." 

She stared angrily at the locked lid wishing it would crumble before her stare. It didn't. Instead, sweat rolled between her shoulder blades. 

"Sara, come on we will just have to wait until someone notices we are missing." 

"Do you know how long that could be?" She called down. "We could be stuck in here for hours." 

He smiled. "I'm not that bad of company am I?" 

Her anger washed away in his smile. "No." 

"Come down, we'll find the ventilation system and see if we can't get the air conditioner running." 

"If it even works." She added as she slowly began her journey down the tunnel. "You know this reminds me of a time when I fell out of a tree at my grandmother's house. It was about the same height." 

Grissom watched Sara make her way to the last rung before safely guiding her boot clad foot to the container under the ladder. He held out his hands for offered support. 

"How did you fall?" He didn't know why but the conversation intrigued him. 

She took his warm hands then jumped down in front of him. "I was trying to get a kite when I slipped and fell." She released his grasp to show him an almost worn away scar on the palm of her hand where a tree branch assaulted her. "This one too." She turned around and lifted her damp hair. "As I fell, I hit a branch with the back of my head. When the branch broke it cut me." 

The scar cut into her hairline in a small diagonal line. Grissom decided it was a deep gash and not a scrape. His eyes traveled it's length. She probably needed stitches when it happened. His mind began to wonder if she cried. He wondered if it was a tender spot. She dropped the curtain of hair back to place which stopped his minor infatuation with the piece of Sara he never knew. 

"If the branch wouldn't have broken, my neck would have." 

He cleared his thick throat. "How old were you?" 

"Seven." 

"It must have been a nice kite to risk your life at such a young age." 

"Made it myself." She found herself getting lost in his eyes. She abruptly turned away from him. This was boarding on openly flirting with the one man she scolded herself about. She began to push the container back in its place. "So what about you, any childhood memories that come to mind?" 

"Nothing that relates to our situation." He said as he helped her slide the container. "Although I did have a goldfish once." 

"And?" She was expecting more; wanting more. 

He shrugged. "It died." 

"They usually do." She said lightly. 

"I dissected it the next day." 

She couldn't resist the growing smile curling her lips. "And how old were you?" 

"I think eight or nine." 

She shook her head. He actually dissected a _pet_. "A scientist through and through Grissom. Through and through." 

He actually caught himself blushing at Sara. Her eyes had a certain livelihood in them that drew him to get lost for a moment or two. 

"You okay Gris?" 

He blinked out of his trance. "Just hot." 

Her brows knitted in confusion. "Yeah that's why I asked you if you knew where the air conditioner is about two seconds ago, but you seemed zoned out." 

"Lost in thought." He answered honestly. He didn't even hear her ask such a question. He scolded himself for allowing himself to indulge in Sara. 

"About the goldfish?" She teased. 

"No. Come on let's find that air conditioner. I am sure this place has one." He looked around the bunker. "I mean everything else is well thought out." His eyes searched the room until they fell on a tiny door in the corner. He walked over with Sara in tow. 

"Crawl space." He said. "I bet there is a generator in there too." 

Sara watched Grissom remove the grate. She couldn't help but lean against him to see inside. That is what she told herself anyway. Grissom didn't mind the contact and actually prolonged it by fumbling with his maglite. The light finally became useable when they saw inside. Two generators and a small heater filled the space but there was no air conditioning unit. 

"Um Grissom, I don't see an air conditioner and that heater doesn't seem to be a two-in-one package." 

He had almost given up when a switch caught his eye. Through the cobwebs he flicked the switch that gave life to the fans spread around the room. "Fans." 

"Better than nothing." She backed away from him and went to the nearest vent. "The air must be circulated and filtered somewhere else in the shelter. I'm not complaining." 

He stood up and placed the grate back in its place. "Now we wait." 

"Great." She frowned pulling away from the vent. "I can only imagine what we'll look like when the search party finally gets here." 

"What search party?" 

"My point exactly." 

(tbc) 


	5. Help

Chapter 5/? 

The 5th Variable- Help 

Nick Stokes held his breath as he helped the nice, young, and beautiful coroner Virginia Thor with their already decomposing body. He was thankful this vic was intact and not human soup like the one he and Sara had not too long ago. That smell was more than he could handle, despite his macho efforts. 

"You know Stokes, I thought you were all talk and no game." Virginia smiled over to him. 

Nick tried his most charming grin. "What do you mean?" 

She gestured towards the body. "Most guys would have let me struggle rather than help me with a decomp. It isn't the most pleasant of smells." 

"I've been around one before." 

She smiled. "Well thanks." 

Together they lifted the DB into the coroner's van without too much of a struggle. Warrick and Catherine watched the scene from a distance. 

"He is pathetic." Catherine snorted happily. 

Warrick came to Nick's defense. "He's smart. If she was my type I would be over there too." 

"What exactly is your type?" 

"If you tell me yours." He smiled. 

She turned back to a bullet casing she found. "Nice try." She raised the casing to her flashlight. "Bobby should have fun with this." 

"Yeah." 

Nick jogged up behind the pair of investigators. "What do you got?" 

Catherine smiled as she placed the bullet casing into a bag. "What do you got?" She teased. 

Warrick snickered at the gorgeous blond at his side. "You can't ask a man to show his cards like that." 

"It's okay man." Nick generated a slip of paper with pride. "I got her phone number and a date for the autopsy." 

Warrick laughed and clapped Nick on his back. "Now that's what I am talking about." 

"Enough guy talk." Catherine said stopping the fun. "Warrick are you taking pictures?" 

"Yes Grissom." He mumbled. 

"Hey I heard that." 

"Relax Cath, you are much easier on the eyes than Grissom." Nick explained with a suffocated chuckle. 

"Get to work guys." She said with a small smile. 

They stepped back in perfect sync with their hands raised. "Yes ma'am." They answered together and split up so they weren't easy targets for her wrath. 

The three investigators quickly combed the aged crime scene for any clues. Another bullet casing was found behind the dumpster and soon the team started to pack it up to head back to the lab. 

"Well, if it isn't the death squad." Greg joked as he caught wind of the trio entering the CSI headquarters. Anyone could smell them coming. 

Catherine was the first to stop and turn. "You keep it up Greg, you'll be on my list for elimination." 

"Catherine did anyone ever tell you that you have an uncanny resemblance to the Borg Queen?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Star Trek, Picard, the Borg, the hive Queen, drones. Okay maybe you know Janeway or Seven of Nine." By the end of the sentence his audacity lost momentum. She started towards him and he suddenly regretted his time spent with Archie talking about the Trekkie Franchise. 

"Drop this off with Bobby." She said sweetly handing the bullet casing to him and began to walk away leaving Greg in complete bewilderment. Just when he thought he was off the hook, Catherine turned. "Oh and Greg. You will comply. Resistance is futile." 

Warrick and Nick watched the sassy Catherine Willows take claim of the locker room to shower and change, before bursting into laughter. 

"She knew." Greg choked out in amazement. 

"ST: Voyager was her favorite show. You didn't know that?" Warrick asked in shock. 

Both Nick and Greg stared at Warrick. "How the hell did you know that?" 

He shrugged his bulky shoulders. "It came up." 

"Right." Nick said unconvinced. 

"Yeah it came up when you two were snuggled up on her couch together watching re-runs." Greg joked. 

"Whatever puts that twisted brain of yours at ease Greg." Warrick shook his head and walked to the lounge to wait his turn in the shower. 

"I'm so dead by end of shift." 

Nick patted him on the back. "Yup." 

::::::::::::::: 

Catherine sat in the lounge nursing a cup of coffee waiting for Greg's report on several swabs, Bobby's report on the bullets, and Nick's report on the body. Warrick stumbled in from a shower and noticed the Styrofoam cup held in her hands. 

"Who fixed the coffee pot?" He asked making his way to pour a cup. 

"Beats me but whoever it was, is a god. How was your shower?" 

"Pointless, but the action was refreshing." He took a seat opposite of her. "Any word from Nick?" 

"Not yet." 

"Hey have you even heard from Gris or Sara?" 

She looked up and searched her memory. "Come to think of it, no I haven't. I wonder why they aren't back yet." 

"It's Grissom." 

"And Sara." She put in. "Those two could run a crime scene for _hours_ side by side." 

"Side by side." Warrick repeated. "Do you think we should call?" 

"Nah. I am sure everything is okay. Besides, we probably just missed them. It's not odd to bypass each other when a case is hot." 

"Yeah, they are probably following a lead all over Vegas by now." He agreed looking at his watch. "Which is more than we have at the moment." 

"I am sure." She sipped her now lukewarm coffee. "You want to check on our bullets?" 

Warrick rose to his feet before holding out his hand to pull her to her feet. "I'm afraid to resist the Borg Queen." 

"It is futile." She smiled brightly at him. 

"When it comes to you, yes it is." 

(tbc) 


	6. Dialogue

Chapter 6/? 

The 6th Variable- Dialogue 

"Do you want some water?" He asked into the silence. 

"Um considering we haven't a clue how he died, I think I'll just dehydrate." 

Grissom nodded. "If I had my kit I could make a crude filtering system." 

"If we weren't stuck in here, I could have all the filtered water I want." 

The room was quiet again. The heat wasn't as unbearable with the fans running but the humidity was still on the rise. Both parties sat in a silent boredom. Grissom removed his forensic jacket and rolled his sleeves up to help combat the humidity, whereas Sara was stuck in her long sleeved shirt damp with sweat. She never remembered feeling so dirty. 

"Do you have other stories?" He offered removing his hat. His hair was a mess of entangled curls plastered to his head. 

"None worth telling." Sara said taking immediate notice to his curls. "What about you?" 

Grissom ran a hand through his hair and dropped it to his side. "Once when I was in college, I got arrested for drug possession." 

"Really?" She held back her laughter. "What happened?" 

"It was actually for a lab experiment on my mice but the officer didn't believe me. He insisted it was for a water bong. As a freshman biology major didn't help anything either." 

As if on cue she coughed out the laughter. Tears cascaded down her face and only intensified the need to release her unspent joy. She actually fell from her seated position to her side on the floor in laughter. 

"It wasn't that funny." He frowned. 

"I'm sorry." She said seriously. After taking one look at Grissom she was back where she started. 

"Okay that's enough." He said with a warning smile. 

She wiped her wet face. "Sorry Grissom but I got this mental image of you as a geeky thug getting high on a homemade water bong." She started to laugh uncontrollably again. "You...smoking..." 

It started as a low chuckle, but exploded into all out laughter between the two friends. Grissom enjoyed the side splitting ache, which he didn't have often. He also enjoyed Sara's laughter. It had been awhile since either one of them shared a laugh. He welcomed all of it, even the bunker of doom. 

She watched his eyes turn from guarded to open. Never before had she seen his eyes so alive and blue. She let her laugh attack die away when she got wrapped up in the blue abysses. 

He abruptly stopped when he saw her staring at him. "What?" 

"You have such beautiful blue eyes." 

He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Um..." 

She looked at her hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." 

"No. Um. Thank you Sara." His words were strained as was the conversation but when she looked up, his words became easier. "No one has ever told me that my eyes were beautiful before." 

She smiled as the tension eased away. "Well it's true." 

It was quiet except for the fans. 

"I think your eyes are pretty too." He said nervously breaking the silence. 

"Okay Geek Thug, enough flattery. I don't think either one of us is up for more than one compliment at the same time." 

"Okay, but don't call me Geek Thug." 

"Only if we get out of here alive." 

"Giving up on hope already?" 

She looked at her watch. "Two and a half hours we have been trapped in here. My hope was lost a long time ago." 

"David has to realize that we haven't gotten back yet." 

"I am not counting on it." 

"Well Catherine and the guys might begin to wonder." 

"Sure." 

"Surely Greg will notice we are missing." 

"No. He is probably enjoying his music without you around." 

"You are a very pessimistic person Sara." 

"It's a gift." 

"It counteracts your beauty." 

She gaped at him in total astonishment. "I'm sorry, what?" 

"You are so beautiful when you smile." He shrugged at the simple fact. "So do you really think that no one is going to wonder where we are?" 

She blinked hard and finally forced words from her mouth. "Eventually." 

"Well only time will tell." He rested his head heavily on the wall. "I hope they notice soon." 

"Me too." 

It was quiet for a long duration of time. They didn't even move. Grissom closed his eyes only to open them as Sara began to hum. Her finger tapped against her thigh as hum of incoherent phrases became words. 

_"I live a life that's sheltered, I'm constantly alone, I poured out my weakness, There's an emptiness at home, I need to find a reason to live this way, I'm running out of patience..."_

"What song is that?" 

She stopped abruptly. "_My Reason_. I didn't mean to...I just get swept away in thought. Sorry." 

"No it's nice. It keeps the silence at bay." 

"It's a great song." 

He watched her form become still and drained. Something was wrong. It was more than the lyrics, there was feeling behind them. "Is everything okay Sara?" 

"We are stuck in someone's paranoid hole out in the desert." She replied sarcastically. 

"I meant with...with things." 

Her brow knitted in confusion. "Excuse me?" 

"Are you okay?" 

"You tell me." She blurted out. It came out wrong. It came out period. It shouldn't have left her mouth, but it was too late to take it back. It was too late to explain, too late to go down that road. She didn't want to ruin anything. She wasn't ready for such a risk. 

He didn't expect that answer and his face expressed his own confusion and shock. "What does that mean?" 

"Nothing. Let's drop it Gris." She smiled warmly at him before rising quickly from his side and walked to the shelving to distract herself from the man that knew nothing about how she felt. 

"Aren't you going to answer my question?" He called over to her. 

She turned just slightly. "No." 

"Okay. I'll remember that." He said with a half-smile of determination. 

"I hope you do." She whispered. 

"What did you say?" 

"Nothing." She removed a box from the shelf. 

He watched her for a moment. It amazed him that she could turn any situation around. She picked gracefully through the box. He stood and unbuttoned the two buttons of his dress shirt for regulation of the sudden rise in temperature as he watched her. He boldly went to stand behind her. She did not move away from him as he peered over her shoulder. "What are you doing now?" 

"You are such a nosey person." She joked. 

"People are nosey, scientists are curious." He said matter-of-factly. 

She shook her head. "Go sit down nosey." 

(tbc) 


	7. Health

A/N: I hope you noticed something was bothering Sara since Gris made that comment about her beauty again. Anyway something is bothering her now. Just thought I'd clarify before you read this one. 

Chapter 7/? 

The Seventh Variable- Health 

Grissom sat against the right wall. Sweat dripped down the back of his neck saturating the collar of his dress shirt. His thoughts wandered from this to that, but mostly came to rest on Sara. He was bothered by the fact that something was bothering her but would not elaborate. He searched his memory for anything he might have done to provoke her response. He thought things were great between them, however her remark no longer supported his theory. It had been almost two full months, give or take a day, since the hockey rink and exactly two months and twenty-two days since he sent her the plant. He thought things were back to normal. She stayed. He assumed she was happy. He was happy. Well not anymore. 

Hearing loss. The words echoed in his head. He wasn't going to be able to hear. He wasn't going to be able to work. He would have to resign. He asked Sara to stay and now he had to leave. She would take it the hardest. How was he going to tell her? How was he going to tell the team? He was determined to keep it a secret as long as possible. It was safer that way. He still had a lot to work out for himself and for the stunning brunette at his side. 

"Come on, you piece of crap." 

Stunning and agitated, he amended. He looked over to find her fiddling with the small radio she found and her cell phone. He was surprised how quiet she became when her mind was occupied. He missed her voice immediately. He had the rest of his life for silence. "What are you doing?" 

She looked up. Her hair was more than damp with sweat now and lay in a tangled mess. "Nothing." 

"It looks like something." 

"I was trying to boost our cell phone signal with this radio. In theory it should work, but..." 

"Well what is wrong?" He asked calmly. 

"Everything!" She threw it crashing against the locked door. Grissom watched it break in two pieces then looked at Sara. 

"Do you realize you just broke your cell phone?" 

She shot up and attacked the door pulling frantically on the latch. "I can't believe that this psycho had an automatic locking system? Who makes a bomb shelter that you can't get out of?! I thought the whole point was to protect yourself from the outside, not become a tomb!" Her heart raced as her mouth spouted off the words. In anger and frustration she kicked the door and pounded wildly with her fists. 

Grissom jumped to his feet quickly to calm her. "Sara just relax and..." 

She ignored him and kicked the door again, which sent needles of pain through her foot and ankle. She stumbled back in pain but that didn't stop her from madly rushing at the door once again. "You son-of-a-" 

"Sara!" He pinned her arms to her chest. "Stop it! What are you doing?! Are you trying to break your foot?!" 

"I hate it in here!" She twisted away from him and limped to the side wall to sit down. She closed her eyes once seated and suppressed the angry tears and the pain throbbing in her foot. 

Grissom watched her in fascination. He never saw her get so temperamental with an inanimate object. When he grabbed her from behind he felt her heart beating rapidly against his chest. She certainly wasn't as calm as he liked to believe. "Sara?" 

"What?" She snapped. 

"Did you hurt your foot?" 

"I'll be fine." She answered more in control this time. 

"It might be broken." 

"It's not." Her voice trailed off when she tried to move it. "It just hurts." 

He raised an eyebrow and sat down in front of her Indian-style. "Let me see it." 

"My foot isn't broken, I just twisted it." She kept it tucked under her other bent knee so he couldn't see it. 

He reached for her foot and she tucked it tighter. "Come on stop being a baby." 

"Oh reducing to name calling are we?" 

"Come on Sara, I won't hurt you. I just want to see how bad the door hit you." 

She rolled her eyes but dutifully obliged him by outstretching her leg to his awaiting hand on his lap. He unlaced her boot in slow motion then removed her sock, trying to ignore the position of her foot. 

"Your toe is bleeding." He said throatily gliding his hand across the nail bed of her big toe. He glanced at her then at the door. "You don't know who to pick your fights with that's for sure." 

"It started it." She hissed in pain as his hand moved along the injured toe. 

His attention fell onto the rest of her foot to assess any further damage. The light graze of his fingers brushed her arch and she jerked. "Does that hurt?" He asked concerned. 

"No. It tickles." 

"Oh. Sorry." He dropped his eyes in embarrassment. "There seems to be no broken bones but I bet your ankle hurts." 

"You can say it Grissom." 

"Say what?" 

"I told you so." 

"That's okay." His hand moved up to support her Achilles Tendon while the other rubbed the arch of her foot. She again bucked away from him. "Sorry." 

"That's okay." She lied as the blush rose to her cheeks. 

"It's badly sprained Sara." He lifted her burning hot foot from his lap and pushed it toward her. Her knee bent with ease as he sat it on the floor. "It will swell so I want you to keep it out of your boot." 

"Okay." She nodded. 

He regarded her with a trained eye. Something was definitely wrong for her to do something so drastically stupid as kicking a metal door. "Now are you going to tell me what's wrong?" 

Again it was quiet as they stared at one another. Sara debated opening her mouth afraid the words might fall out involuntarily. 

(tbc) 


	8. Emotion

A/N: Sometimes, simplicity is the answer. Sometimes, running away isn't the answer. 

Chapter 8/? 

The 8th Variable- Emotion 

"Sara tell me what is wrong." He asked once again. "It's not like you to become so upset over this. You're not claustrophobic are you?" 

She smiled. "No more than the next person." 

It was quiet once again as her sentence died away in the bunker. The normal and logical thought that entered his head would be to walk away. He would let things fall in place naturally and she would find Nick or someone to confide in, but there he was, trapped with the most wonderful woman he ever met with no easy exit. Any other man might be grateful of such an opportunity, but Grissom wasn't any other man. Sara was his unknown factor in experiments. She was always miscalculated and she always changed the outcome no matter how sure he was of his hypothesis. As it was true now, he could not run from her. He could not out smart her and leave her baffled. He was stuck like the pinned beetles to ride out the linear regression of talking to her. 

"Why don't you tell me?" 

"You never asked before." She mumbled unable to meet his eyes. 

He raised an eyebrow as he spoke. "I ask you all the time." 

"You ask about work, or about cases, but never anything that might require a conversation." 

The words stung and he resisted the urge to walk away. "Do you really believe that?" He choked out. 

"Yes." She let the answer sink in before pressing on. The pause seemed to last hours, but only a matter of seconds passed. "Grissom what day is it?" 

"Saturday." 

"I work every Saturday." She pointed out hoping he would understand, hoping she wouldn't have to expose herself beyond recovery. 

"I know." He answered confused. 

She read his face like she had so many times before and dropped her head. "Grissom I can't do this." 

"What?" 

"This. Us." 

He shook his head removing his glasses to rub the pulsing temples. "Sara you aren't making sense." 

"I'm so sorry if you're confused Grissom, but so am I." She said bitterly. "You can't keep doing this to me." 

"What am I doing?" He asked. In all honesty he had no idea how such a common conversation was leading into personal territory. The urge to flee continued to grow. 

"Nothing and that is the problem." 

He stared at her in awe before quickly jumping to his feet. He couldn't believe this was happening. This was just an ordinary case, with odd circumstances, but nonetheless it was normal. This was not normal. He couldn't breathe. "No Sara, I don't need to hear this now." 

She used the wall as support to rise to her feet. "Too bad. Nothing is expected but I am tired of this thing we do." 

"Words are better left unsaid." He recited without emotion. 

"Why? Because it can make denial easier?" She scoffed. "Grissom I practically poured my heart in that song and you didn't even blink." 

"What song?" 

She threw daggers with her brown eyes. "You have got to be kidding me? I'll have to get you a copy because you really need to listen to the lyrics. If you regret saying anything, or you regret sending me that plant then say so, but I can't keep thinking you care about me when you don't. It has been months since you...connected with me. You've ignored what happened and have been pulling away from me again. I can't keep waiting for another pull to replace the pushes. I just can't." 

"I do care about you." He said latching onto the words that he could work with. He truly did but he didn't need Sara to add to his list of problems. He needed time. 

"Grissom?!" She spat his name with disbelief. "Have you heard anything I just said?!" 

"Why is this suddenly bothering you?" 

"Suddenly?!" She shouted. "How can you call the passed decade sudden? You cannot stand there and put this all on me." 

"I cannot do this now." He repeated. 

She spun away to hide her pain. He needed to touch her, to bring her back to him, but his hands hung loosely at his sides allowing her to slip away from him again. 

"Grissom why did you ask me to stay in Vegas if..." Her voice trailed off unable to complete the draining thought. 

"That was a long time ago Sara. You couldn't possibly think that it was more than admiration for a mentor. It wasn't right." 

"Grissom stop. Just stop it. That has nothing to do with the present." She huffed in anger and pain. "Just say there is nothing between us so I can move on." 

"I can't." He said softly remembering the last two years he spent working with her. It was impossible to deny. 

She fought back the tears. Why was he hurting her? He isn't the same man anymore. Why was he pushing her away after he made such a drastic move forward. "Grissom what is wrong? Please tell me. I know something is bothering you. Please..." 

"Everything isn't so simple Sara." His voice was colder than he intended but purposeful. 

"Fine." She said through clenched teeth. She could not force him to talk. She was tired of waiting to be walked on. She limped over to her early object of aggression and picked up the pieces of salvation to get away; away from him. She needed to get out of there soon before he torn her apart inside. 

He balled his fists until his short nails dug into the skin. The weight on his chest grew in such great magnitude he thought he was having a panic attack. He released all the energy he still possessed as his hands opened and he spoke. 

"I'm going deaf Sara." He whispered allowing his pain to pour out in front of her. 

He closed his eyes no longer willing to take in her reaction. He could not recover from her reaction of anger and sympathy. It was too much. Everything was becoming too much. He had nowhere to go and nowhere to be but here with her and she was hurting him. 

"I have otosclerosis. Are you happy now?" He finished opening his eyes. 

She crossed over to him but did not touch him. She didn't know what to do. She hadn't expected this. Deaf? Hearing loss? Oto-what? She had no idea. How could she have been so blind? How could she have been so selfish when he was going through enough for both of them. She had been so naive, so wrong to say such things. 

The silence told him everything he needed to know. He sharply turned away from her and walked away. 

"I'm sorry Grissom." 

He spun angrily at her. "This has nothing to do with you Sara!" 

"I-I know...I'm sorry. I didn't realize." Her head dropped in shame. "You are right, we shouldn't do this now." 

He watched her for a moment calming his breathing. He never meant to take out his frustration on her of all people, but he did. He took a deep breath slowly gaining control again. "Sara I don't know what to do anymore." 

She looked up locking eyes with him as he desperately searched for something to hold on to and keep. 

"How long have you known?" She choked out beyond the lump in her throat that threatened promising tears. 

"Fifty three days." 

Without her permission a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away before she spoke. "I want to help you. Let me help." 

He didn't know what else he could do. She knew. He could not take back his confession. He could no longer hide away behind the mask of fear. She was offering help that he undoubtedly needed more than ever. All he had to do was take it. He nodded compliance in slow motion. 

"Okay." She stifled out a laugh in joy causing more tears to cascade down her face. "Where do we start?" 

He smiled as he approached her shaking form to wipe away the tears. "You really are much more beautiful when you smile." 

The crying would not stop but her hands flew to her face in a feeble attempt to dry her damp face and stop the tears. She had to be strong for him. 

He took her hands in his removing them from her face. "It's okay Sara. You can cry for both of us." She slowly wrapped her arms around his body pulling him close. He hesitated at first before easing into her warm embrace as the tears soaked his shirt. "Shh. It's going to be okay. I promise." 

(tbc) 

Note: What can I say I was tired of the tension. Wahoo! Sara knows and Grissom has accepted her friendship. Yep that could only happen this early in a fanfic. Anyway, this was supposed to be happy and I thought it was getting too serious so I did what any writer would do: take matters into your own hands. Oh the possibilities. 


	9. Solitude

A/N: I know diddly squat about cell phones or boosting signals. It probably doesn't work, but who cares. I'm not writing about that. It's G/S, anything is possible! Thanks for the reviews. Only one more chapter left ; ) 

Chapter 9/? 

The Final Variable- Solitude 

She couldn't help but let her eyes study him. After their sign language session together and his educating talk on otosclerosis, they took opposite sides of the room to stop the spinning. The constant emotional contact and sitting with knees touching were like electricity for both of them. The heat did not help. Awkwardly they parted for a break with a promise that they would continue later. They had plenty of time, now that she knew. 

The strong muscles in his neck were visible due to the angle as his head rested on the wall behind him. His matted hair was still thick with salt and pepper curls. His eyes were closed just barely. She could tell he wasn't asleep by his breathing. Instead of soft and deep, his breaths were shallow and short. He was regulating his temperature and his energy, she told herself with a smile. Of course the only reason she noticed was due to the opening in his shirt showing just enough skin of his chest. He was shiny with perspiration as her eyes traveled to his exposed forearms. The muscles made him look so strong, yet it intrigued her that he was so elegant with his hand motions. Even when he examined her foot he was gentle. It did not shock her, but he had so much power to hurt her that made the contact more pleasant. She wondered what his caresses were like. How would he hold her? Softly to let her know he cared like the friendly hug they shared? Or maybe hard so she would never leave? Would he be tender yet demanding? Her mouth was dry and thick as her eyes landed once again on the opening in his shirt. She shook her head before looking away in shame. She shouldn't be thinking like this. He was trusting her with such personal knowledge that it felt wrong to think about him in such a carnal way. She mimicked his action, and closed her eyes to clear her foggy head. 

Grissom felt Sara's burning gaze trained on his body. He braved a look and was relieved to find that she had closed her eyes. He never had such freedom to view her this closely. He was never completely alone with Sara or felt comfortable staring at her for long periods of time for fear of being noticed. Now he had that chance and did not ignore it. He was alone with her and no one was walking through that door anytime soon. 

Starting at her face he observed her closely decanting every detail to memory. She was the image of perfect relaxation. Her long eyelashes could even be seen from his position so far away. Her mouth was slightly parted as her tongue snaked out and wet her dry lips. She was thirsty. He wanted to quench her thirst. He wanted to quench his own thirst. 

Her small necklace lay just in the hallow of her neck, which moved his eyes to her damp collarbone. He became fascinated by her small shoulders that led to her sinewy arms. Small or not, Sara was not a weak woman. He wondered just how strong and passionate she was when with a man. No. That isn't right. Sara doesn't need to fantasized about. She needs better than unclean thoughts by her boss. Well now he was more than just a boss. He told her his dark secret, one of them at least. The intense pressure on his chest was lighter now, no gone, but lighter. He owed that to her and this bunker. By trapping him literally and psychologically, he was given the push to explain what he wanted to tell her since the first day he found out about his disease. He smiled and released hot air from his mouth. 

"You're still awake." Came her voice. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled over to him. 

"It is too hot to sleep." He answered running a hand through his hair. She abruptly stood up and limped to the end of the room. "Where are you going?" 

"We're still trapped Grissom, I'm not going anywhere. I just wanted to stretch my legs." 

He looked at his watch then rose to his feet. "Well still no word from anyone. I think it is safe to say we are not missed." 

"How long have we been in here?" 

"In total, nine hours and twenty-three minutes." 

She threw her hands up in the air. "What the hell? Does _no one_ notice we haven't come back to the lab yet?" 

"Well Catherine's case must be good or she would have noticed." 

"And David?" 

"Who knows?" He shrugged because he didn't care at the moment if anyone found that they were missing in action. "So what do you want to do?" 

She could not stop the smile forming as his question conjured up...things they could do. Her smile faded and she cleared her throat. "Well one thing is for sure, I need to get out of here soon. I am going stir crazy with only my thoughts to keep me company." 

"What am I? Chopped liver?" 

"You know what I mean." She picked up the smashed technology she bestowed on herself and limped back to Grissom. 

"I told you to stay off that ankle. I don't have x-ray vision and you might have a hairline fracture." 

"Whatever you say Dr. Grissom." 

"I know you are using my title as a pun but I was a coroner so I know a little about anatomy." 

"Yeah anatomy of bugs." She whispered grabbing a screwdriver and other various tools needed to fix her wandering mind. 

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that so I don't have to comment. Now what are you doing Mrs. Hyperactive?" 

She threw daggers with her eyes. "I'll have you know that I am not hyperactive. I just am full of energy." 

"So what are you doing?" He asked clearing his throat to keep laughing. 

"Attempting to fix this." She slid down the wall to a sitting position and he joined her. 

"Watch you don't cut yourself." He said as he watched her work diligently with the screwdriver. He was practically leaning on her trying to get a good view. 

She stopped and turned to face him. She could not ignore that their faces almost touching. "Okay." She said suddenly flushed. 

He studied her face closely while he spoke. "Are you sure that is going to work?" 

"No." 

"Okay." He mumbled unaware of her answer. 

He inched closer to her without knowing it. A searing hot line dominated every point of contact: shoulders, hips, thighs, feet. Every sensory organ concentrated on those four zones. He needed a drink, but then again so did she. 

"So..." She said using the screwdriver to pry open a smashed side of the radio. 

"So..." 

"Well what were you thinking about?" She asked trying to keep her mind on track. 

"Nothing. Just thinking." 

"Oh." She said unconvinced by his tone. 

"What?" 

"Nothing." 

"Well what were you thinking about?" He shot back. 

"Nothing." She replied nonchalantly but it failed miserably. 

"Come on I will tell you what I was thinking if you tell me what you were thinking." 

His breath hit her face sending chills down her back despite the heat. She wet her lips slowly. "It's hot in here." 

He smiled. "Sara you are changing the subject. That's my job." 

She beamed with her thousand-watt smile. "You tell me first then." 

He examined her playful eyes. "It really is hot in here now that you mentioned it." 

She chuckled and turned back to her project. "Subject change Grissom." 

"No it's a fact." He went back to studying the possible object that might end their time together. No, he said to himself, they had plenty of time. 

She removed the cover to her cell phone to expose the wires. "Do you have a pocket knife?" 

"Yes." He shifted away from her digging in his pocket and delivering it to her hand. "I had no idea you were such the electrician." 

"I'm not. I'm playing this by ear." 

"Should I be worried?" 

She lifted her head to smile at him. "Nah." 

Grissom watched her splice the wires and begin to loop them around the exposed radio conductors and electrical conductors. The crossing of wires was making Grissom nervous but doubted it would even work. What were the odds that it would work? 

"There." She said turning on the radio and the phone. "Cross your fingers." 

She pressed the talk key on her phone and hit the speed dial for Catherine's phone. 'No Signal' flashed across the teal screen. "Damn." 

"The frequencies probably aren't consistent." Grissom informed her. "You might be able to..." 

"No, I didn't think it would work anyway." She sat it down beside her and looked over at him getting lost in his eyes. 

"What?" 

"Right now I don't care if anyone finds us." She whispered. 

"We'll dehydrate Sara." 

"Now who is being the pessimist?" 

He chuckled and she dropped her head giggling. Neither one of them could believe they were stuck in such a situation, let alone have such a night full of conversation or progress. She never in all her life thought she would be so close to Grissom without feeling doubtful that it was misunderstood. Her head shot up when he pushed the hair away from her face. 

"I couldn't see you." He said softly. Her eyes locked with his as he tucked the hair behind her ear. "That's better." 

She could feel herself leaning into him. She swayed slightly as the distance became less and less. Her mind could not process anything. He was the only thing that existed in this time, in this place, in this feeling. She felt his eyes study her which only increased her need to kiss him. She had to feel his lips on hers, yet she stopped half way with only her eyes and his will to bring him to her. 

His eyes traveled over her form as he leaned into her. The apprehension was mounting as the urge to kiss her increased. His brain was foggy and nonfunctional. His eyes studied her face until they reached her eyes. They pleaded for release. His own held such desire from years when he remained inactive and deprived of her sweet lips and her gentle caresses. 

He closed the distance effortlessly and in a gracious exploring touch of the lips. Something ignited deep within their souls as they met. They experimentally tasted each other's lips before a graze of tongues spawned more than either party could bear. 

(tbc) 


	10. The Outcome

A/N: I know you're all real sad but this is the conclusion. Although, trapping them there long enough to have babies is quite appealing! LOL! I loved that review! Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you all for the reviews. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting too long but you get the extra long chapter finale! 

Chapter 10 

The Outcome 

In an infinite dance of passion they found themselves kissing. So many years of deprivation had unleashed a beast of desire, yearning, and need. They wholeheartedly lost themselves beyond any return, changing everything. Hands wandered through hair, over hips, and under clothing continuously fueling the kiss. Skin on skin increased as the need to feel each other increased. 

Grissom could not describe what he felt. It was too overpowering for words. He never knew a woman could make him at a loss for words. He smiled against her lips at the thought but lost track of brain activity when her hand wander dangerously close to the edge of his pants. He couldn't stop himself from gasping as her hand seized his shirt tearing it out of his pants. 

She threw her leg over to straddle his hips. "Shh." She whispered before grabbing his lips with her own. She pushed his head hard against the wall to quench her tongue's thirst for him. He pushed back with equal force as his tongue lashed savagely in her mouth. She always mused that Grissom would be an excellent kisser, and no doubt a passionate lover. One step at a time she told herself. She withdrew from the kiss to trail down his salty neck. 

"Sara..." He gasped between kisses losing total control. 

Her name on his lips sounded so unbelievable she stopped. She pulled away panting to look at him. His eyes were a fierce raging blue that she had never seen, but full of pleasure. He was real and this wasn't a dream. 

"What?" He asked caressing her cheek as his lungs took in much needed air. 

"Nothing." She felt her face grow hot but doubted he could see the blush on her already pink face. 

She leaned in softly to deliver a tender kiss to his pursed lips but stopped and turned away from him. "Did you hear that?" 

He leaned his head against the wall to rest. How was it possible to be worn out just by kissing? "Did I hear what?" He said closing his eyes. 

"Grissom?! Sara?!" 

Their heads snapped to attention viewing the door cautiously. The sound was muffled but distinguishing. A resounding click echoed through the bunker before the heavy door began to creak open. In an instant Sara jumped away as if Grissom was the carrier of a contagious disease. Before they knew it three CSI investigators stepped through the metal door with very worried expressions on their faces. 

"Are you two all right?" Catherine asked in concern as she hustled over to the unlikely pair. 

Sara tried to speak but her dry throat would not permit it. Grissom spoke as he rose to his feet smoothing his untucked shirt and trying to act as casual as possible. "We're fine. What took you so long?" 

"We had no idea you were here." She answered looking at Sara with a raised eyebrow. 

"Yeah, we thought you were just working a case." Warrick added. 

"We were until we got stuck in here." Grissom turned to Sara hiding his blush. He extended a hot hand to pull his partner to her feet. "You didn't notice when we didn't come back?" He asked. 

Nick and Warrick exchanged glances before Catherine spoke. "Well we did, but..." 

"Didn't think much of it." Nick finished. "Sara why are you only wearing one shoe?" 

She looked down at her foot then raised her eyes to Nick's expecting glare. "I hurt my ankle." She swallowed hard. Did her voice just crack? 

"She needs X-rays." Grissom added trying to get away. 

"How did you...?" 

"Don't ask. Right now all I want is some water." A little water might calm her senses. 

Warrick frowned. "Uh Sara, there is like at least twenty gallons in that corner." 

"Yeah." Nick added completely lost. He began to think that they were acting even strange by Grissom-Sara standards. 

Sara and Grissom looked at each other before sharing a small smile they couldn't stop. "Well?" Catherine prodded. 

Grissom sighed. "Well our victim had no external injuries, so we thought he was poisoned by the water." 

"It was a caution." She gave them an exhausted smile. 

"Your guy died of natural causes." 

"Huh?" They asked in unison turning to the Jim Brass as he stepped through the door. 

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion as he took in their appearance. Both were severely flushed, sweaty, and he could have sworn that Grissom's breathing was labored. "I just got a call from David as he was leaving the morgue and said to pass the word along. Your guy just...died." He said finally. 

"What?" She hissed. "Why didn't he come looking for us?!" 

Grissom touched her arm. "Jim we some water." Brass sent a puzzled look to the team but shrugged it off as he went to retrieve some water. 

"Who made the thingy?" Nick asked picking up the contraption that led to their discovery. 

"Sara." 

"Well we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Catherine's cell phone ringing." Warrick nodded. 

"Yeah when I picked up all I heard was static and shuffling, so we knew something was up. We came here as soon as we couldn't reach Grissom's cell." 

"It was a good thing you found us." Sara thanked them but silently scorned her mind for ruining something her body was enjoying. 

"Yes. Thanks." Grissom replied without feeling. Brass rejoined the group with two bottles of clear, wet, thirst quenching, mouth watering, cool, natural, spring water and handed one to each deprived investigator. "Thanks Jim." Grissom said cracking the bottle open and indulging in the plentiful euphoria of water. Sara did the same while the rest of the team looked on in amusement. It wasn't unnoticed by the team either that both victims of entrapment were quite haphazardly thrown together. They did not doubt that such a long time in a hot, humid, suffocating bunker with no water could turn anyone into a disarrayed person. Yet there was something different in their proximity to each other and there was something odd about the stares with reddened cheeks. 

"Well I don't know about you Gris." Sara said nonchalantly bending down to pick up her boot. "But I cannot wait to get out of here." 

He started to follow her towards the door but Catherine stopped them. "Wait. Aren't you guys going to tell us what happened?" 

Sara looked at Catherine with a blank face then to Grissom. He shrugged as he turned back to the curious crowd. "Victims of circumstance." He nodded to himself agreeing with the true description before turning up the stairs. Everyone watched his hand cup her elbow until they were out of view. 

"Wait." Nick turned to his coworkers. "That's it?" 

Warrick sighed. "I guess so." 

****

****::::** Three **:::** Days **:::** Later **:::: 

Sara tried to disguise her limp as she hobbled towards Grissom's office to hand in her paperwork. Even the simple task of dropping off her papers was strained. It wasn't because of her ankle either. Just like so many times before Grissom pushed her away as if nothing happened. He hadn't talked about what happened in the bunker which made her believe he was having second thoughts. His comment to Catherine was also disconcerting. She didn't see herself as a _victim_ of circumstance, but apparently he did. The knotting pain still gripped her insides every time she rethought his words. She thought they broke down walls. She knew about his hearing and they knew how they felt about each other, yet he shoved her away. Again. She wasn't bold enough to approach the matter fearing her heart could not take his words of regret. Not yet. Sara was left confused and hurt by the one man that could change her whole life; she didn't want to find out he was doing it on purpose. She painfully reached the door but despite her upset stomach she had to smile at his hunched form in the soft glow of his desk lamp. 

Grissom sat pouring through the latest stack of papers that had seemed to spontaneously generate, but he welcomed the time alone to sort things out; to sort his feelings out. He didn't want to mention their kiss until some things were put into perspective. It hit him really hard when he realized they risked a lot by stepping over the line at a crime scene. The whole situation he was thrown into was a bit overwhelming for the man of mystery. He needed time to think and reach a conclusion like any scientist would do. 

"How was your case?" She asked testing the waters from the doorway. 

His head rose to meet the beautiful woman conquering his thoughts. "Good." He motioned towards the chair in front of him before going back to his chore, or attempting to look like he was concentrating. 

She gradually made her way across the office. She placed her papers on his desk before flopping down in the chair. "What are you up to?" 

"We have a case going to court in a week and it's a mess. Then I have everyone's papers to file." He sighed but forced a smile. "Thank you for your punctual filing as always." 

"No problem." She said with a nervous smile. 

The room grew too quiet for far too long until Grissom was forced to break it. "How is your ankle?" 

"Fine." 

He scoffed. "I saw you limping on your way here." 

"You were watching me?" 

He froze. "Well...I was worried." 

"Oh. I'm fine really." She said sadly but something caught her eye laying amongst the papers. "Hey this doesn't look like paperwork." 

Before he could stop her she removed the sheet of paper from his protective chaos. "It's just..." 

"_My Reason_." She whispered in shock unable to take her eyes from the paper. 

"Um...well...I got Greg to find the lyrics for me." He tried clearing away the lump in his throat but it wouldn't budge. 

" _'And I needed someone to love me, but you just left me here and I'm lonely. You know I needed someone to love me but I'm all alone.' _" She heard her voice crack as she felt the tears start to prickle her eyes. She spoke the words in painful realization. 

" _'I'm searching to find my reason, to find a reason, to find my reason why I need you. And I need you, and I want you but I need to get away from you...but I need you and I want you.' _" His tone was soft, barely audible, as he let the memorized lyrics fall from his mouth. He was so afraid the first time he read the entire song realizing she was pushed away too far to be pulled back. But..._'I want you. I need you.'_ His eyes locked with hers and he knew everything he had to say as it lay in her brown eyes. "I need you." 

She couldn't move or even breathe. "What?" 

He inhaled deeply. "I don't need a reason anymore. I need you Sara." 

She blinked wildly in confusion. "But you...you said we were victims of circumstance and you didn't...mention anything. I thought you regretted everything. And the song, it's..." 

"Being a victim of circumstance can never be a bad thing when the outcome is right." He watched shock shine through her lovely face. It was the same reaction he received at his omission on beauty. He smiled in spite of himself as he stood slowly. "Would you like to get some breakfast?" 

She closed her agape mouth. "Oh yeah, sure." 

He nodded and began to collect his things as if admitting his need was an everyday occurrence. She shook her head in amusement as she stood. "Is something wrong?" He asked watching her rise. 

"Oh no. I'm just...you just...surprised me. Again." 

"Oh." He said shrugging his strong shoulders as if he hadn't a clue. "Wheat toast, one egg sunny side up, a side order of pears, and a glass of orange juice right?" 

She awarded him with a gapped tooth smile. "Two blueberry waffles, maple syrup on the side, a grapefruit half, and a cup of coffee; two sugars, three containers of half-and-half milk. Not the powder because it reminds you of fingerprint dust." He raised an eyebrow. "I saw you in the lounge pretending to print the table." 

"Oh." He managed to say again but this time he was the one surprised that she was watching him. "Are you ready?" 

She squinted passed him staring at the wall considering the full range of his question. Was she ready? Were they ready? The sudden brush of his fingers on the back of her hand made her snap out of her reverie to meet his eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile which she widely returned. "Yes I'm ready." 

-end. 


End file.
